A man who inserted a sex toy in his body and touched himself in front of members of the public had a long criminal record for similar offences, a court heard.

Alan Nightingale, 57, who lives on York Road in Southend, was armed with a bag of sex toys when he carried out the offence on May 22, 2017 in public view before he was reported and arrested by police.

The defendant admitted the offence at Southend Magistrates' Court on the same day but was committed for sentence to appear at Basildon Crown Court because of his previous convictions for similar offences spanning two decades.

His sentence was then deferred on August 23, 2017 for six months on the basis of a number of requirements, which mitigating lawyer Diana Pigott explained to the court he had fulfilled.